Hello everyone and
welcome to Saint Study Episode 109 – “St. James The Greater The Apostle”
Thank you for
joining us – maybe we can all learn enough today that by the end of
the program we will say, “I didn’t know that” (But now I do!)
What is a saint?
A Canonized Saint is someone recognized by the Church as having led a
life of great charity & heroic virtue. Their example of how to conquer
any sin imaginable is so important that it was worth recognizing these
men & women in a significant way. Anyone (canonized or not) whose soul
was cleansed in Purgatory and now resides in Heaven is a Saint. It is
every Christian’s goal to become a saint.
We always begin our
learning by inviting the Holy Spirit to be with us…
In the Name Of The
Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Heavenly
Father we ask you to be with us as we learn about the lives of your
Saints. We ask that our minds be open and that you may fill us with
the knowledge that was so loved by the men and women who lived lives
of heroic virtue and great charity. Allow us to understand and emulate
these Saints who we now know are in your company. In your name we
pray, Amen.
The Saint for this
weeks study St. James The Greater The Apostle
Saints Birth,
Life-Bio, Death, Feast Day,
As with most of the
pre-congregation saints, nothing is passed on through tradition
about St. James the Greater childhood and early life.
Probably grew up in
Galilee where it was thought his father was a fisherman. (John 1:44)
The designation of
“greater” is used to differentiate him from the other apostle James.
St James The Greater
was an Apostle before St. James the Lesser.
St. James the
Greater was the son of Zebedee & Salome. (Matthew 15:40)
Likely the Elder
brother of St. John The Apostle.
It is thought that
Salome and The Blessed Mother of Jesus were sisters. (John 19:25)
If this is true,
Jesus & St. James the Greater (Along with his brother St. John the
Apostle) were first cousins.
St. James the
greater was considered to hold a prominent position among the
Apostles since his name is always mentioned in the first grouping
when the lists of the Apostles are given. (Acts 1:13 & others)
Exception of St.
James mention in John is thought that John was observing a “humble
reserve” with regard to himself and family members.
St. James the
greater was with Jesus …
At the miracle of
raising Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8:51)
The
Transfiguration ( Mark 9:1)
The Agony In The
Garden of Gethsemane. (Mark 14:33)
According to this
tradition St. James the Greater, having preached Christianity in
Spain, returned to Judea and was put to death by order of Herod
Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great.
Herod Agrippa’s
great purpose was to please the Jews in every way
Herod Agrippa showed
great regard for the Mosaic Law and Jewish traditions.
On the occasion of
the Passover of A.D. 44, Agrippa perpetrated cruelties upon the
Church, whose rapid growth incensed the Jews.
The zealous temper
of James and his leading part in the Jewish Christian communities
probably led Agrippa to choose James as the first victim. (first
apostle to be martyred)
"He killed James,
the brother of John, with the sword." (Acts 12:1-2).
The man who arrested
James converted to Christianity after hearing James confession at
his trial. He was martyred along with St. James.
St. James body was
miraculously translated by angels to Iria Flavia in the northwest of
Spain, and later to Compostela.
The vow of making a
pilgrimage to Compostela to honor the sepulcher of St. James is
still reserved to the pope, who alone of his own or ordinary right
can dispense from it.
In the twelfth
century was founded the Order of Knights of St. James of Compostela.
A story passed on
about St. James:
He brought back a
boy to life he brought back to life a boy who had been unjustly
hanged, and had been dead for five weeks. The boy’s father was
notified of the miracle while he sat at supper. The father
pronounced the story nonsense, and said his son was no more alive
than the roasted fowl on the table; the cooked bird promptly sat
up, sprouted feathers, and flew away.
Patronage
against arthritis
against rheumatism
apothecaries
arthritis sufferers
blacksmiths
Compostela, Spain
druggists
equestrians
furriers
horsemen
knights
laborers
Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Montreal, Canada
Nicaragua
pharmacists
pilgrims
rheumatoid sufferers
riders
soldiers
Spain
Spanish
conquistadors
tanners
veterinarians
Conclusions –
Interesting notes about their life or sainthood
The Martyrdom of St.
James the Greater actually is the beginning of the how most of the
Apostles lives ended.
It was interesting how
the confession of James during his trial inspired the man who arrested
him to convert to Christianity and subsequently become a martyr with
James.
How many people do you
suppose you might influence in the way you conduct your life as a
Christian?
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Remember that
Saintstudy is not meant to be perfect resource for referencing the
Saints.
It is meant to show
how attainable the truths about the Catholic faith are.
One doesn’t need to
wait for Sunday Mass to learn their Faith!
Arch Bishop Fulton Sheen
Quote
“There is not a 100 people in the world
who hates the Catholic Church, but there are millions in the world who
hate what they mistakenly believe the Catholic Church teaches.”
May The Peace of our Lord Be always with
you…Have a good day!
